Turmeric has been used since time as a food ingredient, medicine, herb, and coloring agent. Turmeric is one of the most popular spices of India. Almost in every dish prepared in India, Turmeric is added in it. With so many varied usages turmeric is a popular product all over the world. Several unique properties of turmeric make it an ideal choice as a food flavor. It also finds use in the preparation of liquors, dyestuffs, medicines, cosmetics and toiletries. It is used as natural colorant. The curcumin present in turmeric imparts its distinctive yellow color. In beauty enhancement, women have used turmeric paste since very ancient times. Today, it is widely used for its antiseptic and anti tanning properties. It prevents and cures pigmentation, making skin translucent and glowing, besides smoothening it. It also helps in protecting the skin from water allergy. India is the principal supplier of turmeric to the world markets.

Turmeric Powder

Manufactured from the rhizome of the ‘curcuma longa’ plant, turmeric powder is extensively used in Indian dishes, including lentil and meat dishes, and in South East Asian cooking. It adds a warm, mild aroma and distinctive yellow color to foods. It is essential to curry powders, and it is also used to flavor many Indian dishes.

Culinary Uses

In India, turmeric is an important ingredient in preparing almost every recipe. However, in non-Indian dishes, it is sometimes used as a coloring agent. It matches well with meat dishes and is used extensively in the East and Middle East as a condiment and culinary dye. In Moroccan cuisine, it is extensively used to spice meat, particularly lamb, fish curries, etc., and vegetables, its principal place is in curries and curry powders.

Besides being widely used as a spice, turmeric is also used as a coloring agent in many preparing many food items. It also finds application in canned beverages, baked products, dairy products, ice cream, yogurt, yellow cakes orange juice, biscuits, popcorn-color, sweets, cake icings, cereals, sauces, gelatins, etc.

Medicinal Properties

Turmeric has many medicinal virtues. An analysis of turmeric shows that it consists of moisture 13.1%, protein 6.3%,fat 5.1%, minerals 3.5%, fibre 2.6% and carbohydrates 69.4% its mineral and vitamin contents are calcium 150 mg%, phosphorus 282 mg%, carotene 30 mg%, thiamine 0.03 mg% and niacin 2.3 mg% its calorific value is 349. T.

It is known to be used to heal many health disorders ranging from liver problems, digestive disorders to the treatment for skin diseases and wound healing. Since turmeric corrects the disordered processes of nutrition and restores the normal function of the system, it is known to be highly beneficial in curing many diseases. It is currently being investigated for possible benefits in Alzheimer's disease, cancer and liver disorders.

It is know to be highly effective in curing many diseases including:

• Anemia
• Measles
• Asthma
• Cough and cold
• Sprains
• Skin disorders
• Pain in chest
• Dental problems
• Poison of insect bite.